Grateful for your contributions

During the last fiscal year, I am happy to report that we were able to raise more money to benefit direct patient care at Gilchrist Hospice Care than ever before. Despite a continually struggling economy, belt-tightening individuals still generously opened their hearts and wallets to assist us in our efforts to provide the finest in end of life care for terminally ill residents of Central Maryland and for the families they will leave behind.

We are grateful for our donors’ help. The addition of new and needed programs to our continuum of hospice services (including our pediatric hospice program, Gilchrist Kids; and our second inpatient center, Gilchrist Center Howard County) has resulted in a significant increase in our non-compensated care costs – those costs of providing care that exceed insurance reimbursements. From July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011, we absorbed $2.6 million in such costs.

While many choose to donate to Gilchrist Hospice Care through one-time donations or by responding to the fund-raising appeals we mail out each year, we also offer the opportunity to donate by participating in fun and exciting events, whose proceeds are dedicated to helping support our compassionate services.

Every year, we host Taste & Auction of Howard County at Turf Valley in Ellicott City. This year’s event will be held on October 23 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and offers the sweet and savory fare of more than 20 of Howard County’s finest chefs and restaurateurs, as well as a cash raffle and a live and silent auction.

More immediately, however, we are proud to have been chosen as the beneficiary of this weekend’s 85th birthday celebration for Lillian Aida Barbera, mother of Aida Bistro & Wine Bar owner Joe Barbera. In honor of this momentous occasion, Aida Bistro will be donating a portion of all food sales during the coming weekend (Friday, August 26 to Saturday, August 27) to support Gilchrist Center Howard County, our new inpatient center in Columbia.

Thank you to everyone who has so generously donated to Gilchrist Hospice Care. Whether it was by showing your support through one of our events or by a donation because of the care we provided to a loved one, your contribution does make a difference for our patients and families and allows us to continue providing the finest in end of life care.